Avoiding the Seamy Side: Tips For Asian Travel

My three companions and I are walking in a city in South Korea, looking for a place to eat and rest after an afternoon of wandering. Shopkeepers are closing their stores up, people are heading home and the sun is starting to set. Nightlife hasn't started, but the afternoon's commerce is done. As we make our way down the street a fifty-ish man pedals a bicycle in our direction, his left hand extended as if to greet us. Instead of giving a friendly wave, as he passes us he gropes one of my companions-a tall blonde girl in her early 20s. None of us can quite believe what we've just seen, but it's a side life in Asia we foreigners are soon forced to deal with-the opposite of that first 'ultra-polite' impression many Americans get of Japan and Korea. Coming face to face with the seamier side of the east can be a little bit of a shock, especially in Japan, where riders on the subway must deal with gropers called 'chikan', men who board crowded trains to fondle young women, especially school-age girls in uniform. The chikan problem is getting worse; there is now a small organization of these men, known as Chikan Tomo-no-Kai: the Brotherhood of Gropers. Subway riders are fed up with the chikan, some to the point where spontaneous vigilante attacks are happening on the subway, those singled out as gropers have received severe beatings. In spite of our encounter with the bicycle groper in Gunsan City, South Korea doesn't seem to have the same level of problem with gropers. Instead, electronic voyeurism is the big issue. South Korean voyeurs using cell phone-mounted cameras created such a problem that in November of 2003 the government there passed a law requiring a mandatory beep tone to accompany all pictures taken with cell phone cameras. The problems of groping and electronic voyeurism aren't limited to Asia. America has its own problems with sexual harassment and privacy, but American travelers are often caught off guard by how blatant many of the offenses are. They happen in public areas, in full view of anyone, whereas America's sexual harassment and invasion of privacy incidents are more hidden. In spite of the blatant nature of these kinds of problems in the Far East, travelers can go prepared for the unexpected by keeping a few key things in mind: Travel Together-it's best to travel in pairs in a strange place. In Japan and Korea, there are many shopping and party districts where people gather in large groups. If you must travel alone, stick to places with a lot of people and be wary of how much alcohol you drink. Dress Conservatively-cell phone camera voyeurs are fond of something known as the "upskirt" which is simply sticking a cell phone under a woman's dress. By the time you know you're being photographed, it's usually too late, and your picture may well make the rounds across the internet on sites that feature these kinds of illegal pictures. If you are concerned about this happening to you, slacks are best. Stay Along The Wall--Subway gropers are usually in the center of the crowd. If you can find a spot where you can put your back to a wall chances are you won't be a victim. You'll be able to make eye contact with and identify everyone around you--something the subway groper definitely does NOT want. Know the Right Phrases-if you are being harassed, groped or photographed, what will you do to call attention to your problem? In Japan, the phrase "Dame-yo!" (dah-may-yo) means "that's totally inappropriate" and gets a lot of attention if it's said in a loud voice in a crowded subway train. If you are having photo voyeur trouble in South Korea, you can shout SOON GYUNG (soon- ghee- young) which means "Police!"